Common Import Issues on Shopify and How to Fix Them
By Sam Nguyen
There comes a time for you as the owner of the Shopify shop, you have problems uploading your product CSV file. You can read this writing about some common issues people have when importing on Shopify listed below and find solutions for those.
Some common import issues when importing
Problem with error messages
Fulfillment service cannot be blank
The fulfillment service that you are using need to be registered. In the case you are not using any services, the fulfillment service should be set to manual.
Ignored line #-## because handle example already exists
You must have a unique handle for each individual items in your CSV because the handle is used to identify products in your list separately.
Illegal quoting in line
This problem might occur when in the CSV that you are trying to upload includes an illegal character. In order to fix this error, your file has to be UTF-8 encoded. This issue can sometimes be caused by a missing or stray quote.
Incorrect header check
You should delete the image from the row and try to redo your action. If the problem is solved, try to store your picture in a different place.
Invalid CSV header: missing headers
Your first line of the CSV file should be like this:
You must remember to check for extra white space at the end of the first line.
Inventory policy is not on the list
To solve this error, you should set the policy to deny or continue.
The number of the goods cannot be blank
You need to set the quantity of your inventory. If you are not tracking inventory, you should leave the Variant Inventory Tracker blank, or else, Shopify will still look for the inventory quantity.
The inventory quantity is not written in numbers
A number value must be entered for the number of goods left in stock.
Missing or stray quote
It can be caused by Excel or some other spreadsheet programs inserting smart quotes. This problem can be fixed by replacing the “ “ quote to look like this “ ”.
Another possible root could be the extra quote added to your file. You need to open the file and track the line with that error. Once you find it, remove it.
Failed validation: a problem arises while you download the picture
This problem could happen if an image file is missing.
Failed validation: getaddrinfo: nodename nor servname provided, or unknown
The root of this error is the problem with the URL of the image which does not have http:// in front of it. The link of the picture must be public to get access to.
Failed validation: your option is not unique
The cause of this problem is the duplicated options in one product. You must have set the item that has two variants with the same option values. You should reset the product to fix your problem.
Failed validation: the price cannot be blank
Price is one of the most important things to a seller so that you cannot leave this line blank.
Failed validation: the picture, which you upload, exceeds the limit of 20 megapixels
The image size can be up to 5760 x 5760 px or 20 megapixels, otherwise, the picture needs to be reduced in size or replaced by a different image.
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Frequently asked questions
There are some random characters show up in my export. Do you handle international languages?
International languages are supported by Shopify as long as they are UTF-8 encoded. If you notice any strange characters, it must be because your CSV is not encoded by UTF-8. The solution to this problem is to open your file in a text editor, save it again using UTF-8 encoding.
I tried to upload my CSV and a Choose column headings window appeared
This problem arises when the headers are incorrect. Choosing the headers from the drop-down menu to fix this problem.
Conclusion
Above is the writing listing some common import issues on Shopify. I hope you find the solution to your existing problems. If you cannot find a solution, please contact the Shopify support team. To find more instructional writings, check out our Shopify Tutorials.
